What if David had been dodging every bear and lion in the jungle? What if he had been celebrating every escape from those animals with loud testimonies of 'supposed' God's deliverance from beasts? David would have been a hero in the family for having the swiftness and tact to escape ferocious wild beasts. But then he would never have been able to make the statement in Ps 144: 1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. Maybe David would have worked against the purposes of God in his life by escaping the trainings needed to make him a vessel unto honor. 2 Tim 2:21
Many Christians give testimonies for taking the easy way out of challenges but losing the opportunity to get God's strength for war and skill for battle. David himself attested to the fact that his audacity to face Goliath took root from his training in the wilderness when he kept the family herds. He rode on the assurance that God who saved him from the paws and jaws of those hungry beasts would also save him from the hands of Goliath and deliver the giant into his own hands. 1 Sam 17:37
Many Pastors desire to lead very large congregations, many evangelists desire to travel far and wide with the gospel and preach to large assembly of people countable only in acres, many brethren desire to perform signs and wonders and heal the sick. But sadly they fail because the path to these levels of spiritual height is infested with lions of selfishness and bears of laxity which must be killed lest they destroy the helpless sheep. The path to great spiritual height is through selfless service and is full of thorns and thistles, things which the heart of man abhors.
David was to describe God, later in Psalm 46:1, as A present help in times of trouble because he allowed all the troubles that came to him to develop in him a solid faith in the deliverance of God. He knew God as one whose presence is comforting still in the valley of the shadow of death. He had to flee to the wilderness with caves and rocks as his places of political asylum as Saul sought his blood with the best of Israeli troop. Don't forget he had also been anointed king of Israel by Samuel. But through faith David held enough of God's grace in his heart to have also developed a rare respect for the life of his enemy. He wouldn't kill Saul even when he had the opportunity to do so. 1 Sam 24:6,7 1 Sam 26:9.
His early desert training gave him the sound knowledge of the terrain such that when the hostility broke at the time of Saul and during Absalom's coup, he had the strength of the body and the resilience to survive outside without the luxury of the palace. What is the reason many of our leaders want to hold on to power till they die on the throne? One of their fears is that they would not be able to survive the necessary downgrade of their tastes when the perks of office are no longer available. This is also why most rich people could not fast for half a day to have deeper fellowship with God.
His tears and mourning after the death of Absalom was misunderstood by Joab the army commander because he forgot how David also mourned the eventual death of Saul and Jonathan. Saul had seen David as an enemy that must be killed but David kept on seeing Saul as an anointed man of God, glory of Israel. He got his compassion and soft heart because he faithfully walked and worked with God through the trials he faced and through the opportunities to serve God and the nation even at a risk to his life. You must love the Lord your God with all your heart. Deut 6:5,6
Many of the challenges confronting believers today are in the same cadre as that which confronted David in the wilderness. He wasn't compelled to do what he did to save ordinary sheep. So also you might have the opportunity to help and while helping in your own way which is good, there may be the chance to go the extra mile. Take the chance and don't waste it. It is one of God's ways of calling you to greatness. Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there. You still have a reward when you give the minimal help but you get the fastest growth and the greatest joy when you, for the love of God, go that extra mile.